Fast Llamas, 

I was privy to a conversation a colleague was having with a student teacher in our building the other day.  They were talking about classroom management and the student teacher asked and I paraphrase, "will there ever be a time that the students behavior won't have to be managed?"  This got me thinking and the answer is "yes and no".  Middle school students are just that, they are teenagers and their brains won't be fully developed until they are much older.  So, we use this time that we have with them to teach them the ways of success.  But, by February, most of your procedures, systems and routines are put into place... unless...
1. They are too complicated - procedures should be "engineered to be efficient" (Lemov, 2015).  Procedures should be the simplest way to complete a task.  Script out the most critical routines in your classroom.  What do they look like?  What are your expectations?  How will you know when students are successful?  How will the students know they are successful?
Normal Systems:
a. how to ask a question
b. how to answer a question
c.  how to have a discussion
d.  moving materials
e. note taking
f. turn and talk
g. independent work
h. how to test
i. managing behavior
j. moving students
2.  You did not take the time to practice in the beginning - taking the time to practice to make procedures quick with little narration will come back to haunt you.  Take the time to plan out to detail and then practice with students always will pay off.   Make an anchor chart of the expectations for students and refer to the anchor chart often.  
3.  You don't have key phrases planned out - here comes planning again.  Clarity and specificity are king here.
And I am not just talking about procedures and routines for behavior.  Academic procedures are worth practicing too.   Like using RULER, used to strategize test taking skills or a CHECK-X strategy, these are done every time with fidelity.  
To move from procedure to routine to system takes patience and time, but it will pay off .  
Here are some tips from Teach Like a Champion:
1.  Number the steps - chunk them as you narrate, first, stand up, second, turn and face me... etc.
2. Model and describe - give certain procedures a moniker - like "vertical hand"  
3. Practice
4.  Reflect on the most common questions or requests students have and systemize these.
5. Transfer Ownership 
The Slumps:
Sometimes there is a need to rectify or reset what's happening in your classroom.  Don't think since it is the middle of the year that some systems need your attention.  While most procedures and routines are established at the beginning of the school year, it is never too late to create a new one or review an existing one.  
Here are some tips, again from Teach Like a Champion:
1.  Invent a peg - Connect the reset to a new goal, such as a big field trip or 34 days until STAAR.
2.  Review procedures before and after a big break.
3.  Heart to Heart - tell the students the reason to a reset.  Maybe they (and you) have gotten sloppy and you are losing valuable learning time, just be honest.
4.  Practice  - let students take the lead
5.  Praise - Give props that are quick, universal and enthusiastic.  
Examples of Props:
a. snaps
b. power whooshes
c. the hitter  - pretend to toss a baseball and hit it for a homerun
d.  hot pepper - pretend hold and eat a hot pepper and say "ssss"
Here are a few example videos, the examples are from elementary, but I believe they will work for any age, because middle school kids are just kids in big bodies.  

References:
Lemov, D. (2015). Teach like a champion 2.0. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

SLANT and Calling your Class to Attention

 Hey Fast Llamas, 

This is a repost from 2023, but it's a good one and is reposted due to a coaching conversation I had with the Math coach on my campus.  It's good stuff and a good reminder of strategies... 

 

So far we have talked about Threshold and Strong Start strategies as students enter and we begin class.  
Now what?  How do we get to the learning as fast, efficiently and respectfully as possible?  My first year of teaching I realized quickly that I needed to find a way to get the students attention.  I started flicking the lights on and off.  It worked.  But, I am not sure how I feel about it.  I do know that since I wasn't a QL teacher yet, my overhead lights were always on, so flicking them "off" to get attention wasn't so bad. If I had continued that practice, (when I stopped using fluorescent lighting), that switching the lights "ON" to get their attention would of blinded the kids and would of seemed punishing.  By the time I was using lighting purposely, I had developed a better plan.  (thank goodness).  

The Call to Attention...
Like I mentioned above, what you use to call the students to attention is not a punishment, but a classroom management technique that simplifies your ability to get kids attention in a positive way and teaches kids self-regulating behaviors and guides them to autonomy.  (stay tuned for more on that in a minute).
There are lots of examples of Calls to Attention out there on the web and you may have one you like...  A teacher friend of mine simply says, "Hey"  and the kids say "Ho", another says, "Howdy" and the kids do the same.  Some teachers do a narrating countdown, ("you are quiet in 5, pencils down in 4, eyes on me in three, etc.") or simply hold a hand for "5". The important thing to do is practice it a lot, and hold that 100% compliance is happening by scanning the room.  If the kids know you are waiting and looking, it will be more effective.  Waiting and looking sends a message that you are serious and you expect them to comply.


In my classroom, I used a modified rock climbing command protocol.  In the sport of rock climbing, “on belay” is the first climbing command used by a rope climbing team at the base of a climb. "Belaying" refers to actions used to keep tension on a climbing rope so that in case of mishap, a climber does not fall before being stopped by the rope. "On belay" is the voice command issued by your climbing partner to indicate they are ready to keep the tension of the rope as you climb, thereby ensuring safety of the climber. In my class, I used the metaphor that I was their belayer, holding their rope and supporting them as they climbed 8th grade science.  I believe they had more stock in saying it, since I took the time in a mini-lesson to explain what it meant to me and to them.  It was an effective call to attention. More on what it look, sounded and felt like below.

Change Their State:
To increase my ability to train students to self-regulate and change their state, I combined my call to attention with a kinesthetic state change.  I used SLANT first, which was started in KIPP schools, is used by Quantum Learning (where I learned it) and is mentioned in Doug Lemov's book, Teach Like a Champion.  I later switched to PLAN which is from Doug Curry's How to Train a Llama.  There is STAR too.  

Here are the three that I have seen and used:
Sit up                                            Sit up                                              Posture (sit up)
Lean forward                              Track the speaker                         Lean, look and listen
Ask and answer questions       Ask and answer questions          All things put down
Nod your head                            Respect others                              No talking
Talk to your teacher

As you can see, they are more alike than they are different.  I had success with SLANT and with PLAN.  (the reason for my switch was my entire building used PLAN, no big deal).

Each letter in SLANT also describes what is happening cognitively.  

S, for example, when you sit up, you send a message to the brain that, "this is important".  Has that ever happened to you? Something important is being said and you automatically sit up?  Or you are in a relaxed position while driving, and traffic amps up, so you sit up to be able to pay more attention to it. When we pay attention... we are better able to retain it.

Lean Forward sends a message to the brain to focus.  Have you ever described the plot of a really good movie to someone?  Most likely, you leaned forward to tell the story.  Same with that driving scenario, we naturally lean forward when we want to focus more.

Ask Questions sends a message to the brain that you are interested.  Questions pulls the brain into inquiry mode.  Inquiry mode sparks curiosity.  Curious brains are more creative and you retain more information.

Nod you head.  Ahhh the power of positivity.  When I send a message of positivity to the brain, or equate positive feelings with what I am doing, or reading, the brain picks up on it and will likely store it into long term memory.

Track or Talk to your teacher.  Finally, this last step again, sends a message to the brain that this is important. This is important enough for me to talk about it and follow the teacher as she/he talks about it.  

So, my call to attention looked, sounded and felt like this... 

(remember I  modified it for the classroom, true rock climbers will notice that the commands are reversed, but, it worked for the outcome I needed in the classroom)
Me:  "on belay" 
Kids:  "ready to climb", 
Me: "climb on" 
Kids: "climbing"
Me: "Show me your PLAN"
Kids: would sit up, lean forward, put pencils down, and look at me
Me: scan the room and make corrections and praise and praise and praise

This took practice, on my part to continue using it with fidelity and never getting upset when I had to use it.  I was in control of the classroom behavior in a positive way.  Remember, everytime I used it, I was telling them that I was sending a message that I was there for them,  setting them up for success and they were climbing higher and higher!
I would also manage their behavior by calling to attention when I felt they were getting too loud... right as the volume would rise, I would call them back and either check for understanding or students could share their learning.  
I also would go to the SAME spot in my classroom to call them to attention.  By spring, I could walk to that spot and the volume would decrease automatically.  That's self-regulation folks and sets up kids with feelings of satisfaction and autonomy.  

Tips:
1.  Keep it simple - don't choose something that will cost time or not be something you will hold on to...
2.  Time is important and being quick is the goal... so don't hold kids 15 seconds longer than necessary just to prove you are in control...
3.  Use the fewest words as possible.  A call to attention means you don't have to say "shhh" or other words.  It is all you say.  Talking more steals away the satisfaction and autonomy students gain when they comply.  We are training kids to self-regulate, they need to know what it feels like...
4.  Practice with peers (this practice is called microteaching and doesn't it sound fancy?) your procedures to increase your economy of words.  The goal... talk less.


Here's quick video for guidance.

 Fast Llamas,

When I think back on my first years in the classroom, I kind of cringe when I think about how I used to start class.  Think... LOTS OF TIME WASTED.  And it wasn't that I didn't know time was flying by, I just didn't have the skills to get started.  Madeline Hunter had taught me about the lesson cycle, but, how to start?  After many trainings—like Quantum Learning’s concept of clean beginnings and tradition, the Fundamental Five approach to Framing the Lesson, and the Strong Start strategies outlined below—I finally put everything into practice. That’s when my classroom became truly efficient. It took effort on my part, but once the routines were established, students consistently did what was expected of them every day. The results were amazing.

In Strong Start teachers design and establish an efficient routine for students to begin class.  You are shaping the opening minutes, being proactive and creating energy.  This time allows for learning goals to be discussed and review of content to be a routine occurrence (a tradition). 
Remember, they are entering your class and you are greeting them and setting expectations.  Once they enter, there is an established routine of picking up papers, sharpening pencils, turning in work and getting to their seat. 
Once bell rings students should have a short review of previously learned material.  This is in the form of a warm-up question at Labay. (some call it bell work, a Do Now, etc...)  We want students to not lose, through disuse, what they have previously mastered.  Adding to the warm-up is a review of Content Posters or Anchor Charts.  Remember 10-24-7.  We are always recapping!

Things to consider:
1. Set a timer for students to complete warm-up,
2. Walk around while they finish, (you can take attendance on TAC quickly and then get back to the power zone, I tried unsuccessfully to use my phone to take attendance... maybe you could be better at it)
3.  Count down once timer goes off... "pencils down and tracking me in five... four... " this creates urgency... when down to one, students are ready
4.  Some teachers check answers, some don't... the latter usually have students turn in their weeks warm-ups for a grade.  Students get feedback later.
5.  Go to Anchor Charts and have students say and do as you do to recap important info for the unit.  Have kids stand up.  Encourage body mnemonics and having them saying the words.  So students are hearing, seeing, doing and saying the words for what you want them to remember.  Have students recap with a partner. Set a timer for this too.

Finally the TPO (Three Part Objective) is discussed.  The students can read it together, the teacher can read it, or get one kid each day to read it.  The important part is that it is read and talked about out-loud everyday.  This is the goal for the class period and it is really important students know why they are in class that day.  The TPO tells them what they are learning, why they are learning it and how they will show what they learned.

I encourage setting timers so that this doesn't become a 20 minute routine... this should be quick and energetic. 
Here's a quick montage of Champion Teachers using timers, setting the pace and creating urgency.  Some cool ideas to try.

 Hey all fast llamas!

Today, I thought a good place to start talking about in terms of classroom culture and management is to start at the literal beginning.  The first interaction you have with your students as they enter your classroom... the threshold.

In Teach Like a Champion 2.0, Doug Lemov describes this as "the first opportunity to set high expectations", and I couldn't agree more. Getting it right and keeping it right are much easier than trying to fix it once it has gone wrong (I love this statement).

Here's what it looks like, sounds like and feels like:
Remember Everything Speaks - first impressions matter!  be purposeful and use this moment intentionally (lagniappe)
1.  Choose how you will greet students - this sets the tone for the rest of class.  Will you use it for rapport building? Academic success? Character building?  (a mix?)
2.  Stand astride the door if you can... so you can see what's happening in your classroom and outside.  (this may not always be possible, but, it is the goal)
3.  Greet students, remind them that they are in your class now (sending a message that no matter what expectations they are coming from, your expectations are in play now, and you expect their best).  I like to give each badge a "tap" with my finger or pencil.  It's like a mini-high five!
4.  Send a warm, strict message, you are glad they are here, but, we are here to learn... business with a smile
5.  Use this time to:
    *build rapport, "nice game last night", "looking for great things from you today", check badges or "cool shirt"; You are MODELING how to talk to Speak with good Purpose...
    *build academic success, "we have a quiz today, be sure you review your warm-ups", "flash cards" 
    *build character - how to shake hands, make eye contact, high five, side hug or fist bump (ask kids what they want), talk about the 8 Keys of Excellence (all Labay kids will be trained through science classes by the end of September)

6.  Split time between greeting and talking to kids in the class... you literally have eyes on everything. calling attention to it, sends a message to students that you are watching, monitoring and helping them be successful.

The ultimate goal of Threshold is twofold:
1.  help you establish a personal connections with your students though a brief individual check in (use their name)
2. Reinforce your expectations for what students should be doing as they enter your class.  

Set a goal to level up your Threshold and monitor the results you see in your classrooms Use Threshold to build academic success and build rapport!

Next week... We will talk about Starting Strong! 

 This is a repost from last year... but too good not to share again.  

Enjoy!

Fast Llama's

I am sharing this free resource from Doug Curry today.  His writing is so good, I can just hear his voice.  Doug Curry has tons of free resources that I am beginning to share with you, coupled with the OTFD session we had with Jenny, there is a lot of good things happening for our students at Labay!

Here is one of the free resources Doug wrote about the greatest gift teachers have; a Christmas Break RESET! 

Enjoy!

Your Christmas Gift: A Fresh Start

Have you been such a slow llama this year that it has been months since you have even seen the pack?

Are you so slow that the pack conspires to avoid you?

Are you now doubting that the pack in fact even exists?

Has this year caused you to seriously question your career choice?

Do you have one wall of your classroom dedicated to marking off the days as if you are awaiting parole?

You are not alone!  This is particularly true if you are new to this profession or new to your unique circumstance.

There are very few jobs in the world that allow for an opportunity to completely start over and thus correct all of the mistakes that one has made.  The world of sports comes to mind.  As long as a football player has not yet been run out of the league, each new year offers a chance for redemption.  You see this all the time in sports.  A player who last year basically stunk now turns into this year’s hottest superstar.

Fortunately for us, teaching is one of these professions that offers the opportunity for, shall we say, “rebirth.”  Every year, unless you loop with the same kids (and thus bring along all of your mistakes in the same way that we carry viruses with us from room to room), you have a completely new opportunity to start over and correct all of your mistakes from the previous year.

Why are we talking about starting over when only half of the year is completing?  Fair question.  

However, never underestimate the power of the holiday break!

Granted, it is not summertime.  We don’t have the opportunity for complete redemption.

If done right, your two weeks off along with the return of your students in January offers you the opportunity to hit a very important button:

That’s right!  You can definitely hit the reset button. 

When the kids come back in January, they can be met with the “new you!”

How do you make this happen?  Here are the steps:

1.    Be quick to forgive yourself for whatever mess you may have created during this first semester.  

In any type of leadership position, which of course includes teaching, leaders inevitably make mistakes.  Great leaders take responsibility for their mistakes, but they don’t dwell on them.  They learn from their mistakes, adjust, and move on.  Picture a great quarterback who throws an interception early in a game.  Did he mean to throw it?  Of course not.  If he dwells on the mistake, he may become reluctant to do all of the things that come with being the leader of the team, which in this case means:  Throw the ball!  It takes real courage to continue to lead after you have made a mistake.  Guess what?  No matter how good you become at this job, you will still make mistakes.

2.    While forgiving yourself for the mistakes you made the first semester, own them.  They are yours.  You did it.  Your classroom will be whatever you want it or allow it to be.  If it has been terrible, you did it.

When we fail, we will do everything we can to justify our failure.  It’s human nature, but it’s a losing strategy.

You can try and convince yourself and others that everyone else in your school is failing at classroom management, but I’m sorry.  It’s not true.  Folks like me who get to visit all different classrooms can tell you.  There are teachers on your campus who are succeeding.  They are succeeding with the same students who seem to enjoy seeing you suffer.

It’s you.

Have courage and accept it.  It’s the first step in overcoming any problem.

 

3.    Make a list of all that has gone wrong related to your classroom management during this first semester.  Here is a resource that will help:  https://drive.google.com/open?id=1rgdxyqY6O-Xx_ShcUPW6Q0CJHNNhT89_  

4.    Now make a list of what you are going to do to make it better.

Does it involve your:

•   Classroom Systems?    https://drive.google.com/open? id=14MWj0f3dE08GUdXKOVc32a-7E9FHQlnN  

•   Teacher Presence?   https://drive.google.com/open? id=1bFv52GUPY0nICrHpB_NV20LRntOECJK1  

•   Your Beliefs?   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnEpFoh9gnI

•   Your Relationships with your Students?

5.  Prioritize.  You won’t be able to do everything.

Pick the most important things.  

•   Your room arrangement • How you have your materials stored.

•   How students enter.

•   How you dismiss.

•   How you gain and keep their attention.

•   How they respond in class.

Your classroom will be whatever you want it to be.

If it is great, it is because of you.

If it is terrible, you allowed it.

Kids will rise to whatever level you expect.

They will also sink as low as you let them go.

The new year is a gift!  Take advantage of this opportunity!

Thank you for what you do!  - Doug

Have a wonderful break!  We have just 10 days to make a difference to the life of a kid.  Make them miss us! Make them look forward to coming back in January! Make them and each other believe there is no better place to be than to be together at school!

-Tracy

I am Waiting, but in a Good Way

 Repost from 2019...

Fast Llamas,

Fast Llamas,

We will be talking about what Doug Lemov of Teach like a Champion, 2.0 refers to as "Ratio". This is thinking intentionally about the ratio of participation of your students and the thinking that is happening in your classroom. Think of participation ratio as the engagement of the students and think ratio as the rigor of your lessons. It's always a good thing when we purposely plan for the kids in class to carry the cognitive workload. They should be the ones working harder than you! They should be the ones writing, thinking, talking & analyzing. This idea is the brainchild of KIPP schools founder David Levin and when you think about it, is what skilled teaching is all about.
The question is... if we know students should be answering questions, talking about their learning with each other and writing critically, how can we get there? What strategies can we use to stop being the 'sage on the stage?' How do we ensure that our questions aren't engaging 5 students and the rest passively watch and play along?

Let's start with the question technique called Wait Time. Using Wait Time as an intentional technique raises both the participation ratio and the think ratio. Your most likely to get better answers from more students... brilliant.

Do you think that you are modeling "how" to think when you encourage time to think? I'll wait...

If you answered yes, then you are on the right track. A big part of our job as teachers is teaching thinking skills as we teach our content. What a tremendous gift to to give our students.

Wait Time - wait what? That old thing? Yes, that old thing... I was introduced to this idea in my Methods Course at TTU in the 80's (well, 1989, but still ) & that means it's been around a loooonnng time... Which means you know about it too... the idea here is to level up and refine the practice.



Here are some ideas to use Wait Time effectively:

1. Practice using it actively... Count in your head if needed
2. Narrate to students the amount of time you will give them... "I'll give you 6 seconds to think about it, then raise your hands"
3. Do not accept "shout outs"... this will take some work if you have allowed it... talk to kids about the change in strategy and stick to it
4. Narrate hands raised... "I see one hand up, I see three hands, I see 6 hands, waiting to see 10" if you have created a culture of high expectations and safety, you will get the hands raised
5. If you still get crickets and very few hands raised... allow and encourage students to use their notes... (because reading is thinking too)
6. Affirm to students what to do with the time... show them what it means to think, say things like,"The six seconds I gave you is over, but, I see people still jotting down ideas and reading, I'll give everyone more time", "I see people using their notes, this is a good idea", " I want you to think deeply on this question, so think before you raise your hand"
7. Stop Talking - be careful with your affirmations and that you actually give students silence to think. So, d0n't affirm the entire time... say it quick and then stop talking.
8. Show students what successful thinking looks like... preface your questions when they require details and deep thinking by telling students what you expect out of the answer. For example, you could ask, "What is a chemical change?" or you could be explicit with expectations and say, "this question requires some examples, be sure to refer to your notes to backup your answer"

Here are some clips in action...

https://youtu.be/dBnuSUL0ymM

https://youtu.be/lecW6Ie9dVo

References:

Lemov, D. (2015). Teach like a champion 2.0: 62 techniques that put students on the path to college. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

WEEK 4 - Focusing on Praise

Fast Llama's,

Today we are talking about what Tom Bennett calls the best extrinsic reward available to you... and it's free...

Praise... today we are talking about praise, how it works and how to be more purposeful when giving it.  I will be breaking down a part of Bennett's book, Running the Room Chapter 12, Rewards.  Running the Room has been an excellent read... poignant, realistic, and intelligent.  I highly recommend it.  

Everyone wants to be recognized, to be valued, to be noticed, to be acknowledged.  They then know they matter and you matter to them.

If you are thinking that you don't believe in praising kids for "doing the right thing" and "they should already know how to behave" or of the mindset that you are not in education for students to "like me" or "be their friend".  Well, honestly if you have that mindset you probably aren't here reading anyway.  But, if you are, I didn't want to friends with my students either,(they had plenty of their own friends and so did I) nor did the "have to like me".  I am sure that out of the thousands of students I have taught, there were lots of kids who didn't like me... (maybe they didn't like science, maybe I reminded them of someone they disliked, they didn't like my jokes or my music, or maybe a thousands things...) And, honestly, there were a few I didn't like myself.  But, I made sure they never knew it.  When you are consistent, fair, and recognize student effort, guess what?  they will end up liking you.  When students like you for these reasons, they bake for you as my husband would attest to going "shopping" for treats I brought home the day we got out for Christmas vacation.  I will say that I am friends on social media for many ex-students (and I few that I ended up teaching alongside).  And I evidently meet ex-students all the time... The message here?  Did they like my class? Do they remember me fondly? In the very tough years of middle school, was my class a place they wanted to be and feel safe?

Let's talk about Tom Bennett's advice.  

In order for praise for be effective it should be...

• sincere
• honest and deserved... you believe it and so does the student
• proportionate
• don't gush, not everything is "fantastic"
• targeted
• feedback is king here - "your report was good because..." give the feedback with specific content tied to it... 

Be mindful:

• The middle bubble - kids who are compliant and do what they should, they need praise
• The very poorly behaved - don't focus on them solely
• The very well behaved - don't over praise - it can lead to the opposite effect and normalize mediocrity
• Effect Praise requires us to know our students very well.
• Watch body language and tone - not too excessive, when you praise, it should reflect your normal tone, volume, sarcasm and body language.
• We rarely want to believe praise, so make sure you deliver it confidently

How frequently should you praise:

1. When you want a behavior repeated
2. When you want a behavior to be normalized
3. When you want the behavior to be an exemplar for others
4. When someone who struggles does something good "for them"
5. When someone who behaves well does something extraordinary - like showing unprompted kindness
6. When someone needs a pick me up

Mediocrity - Oh No!

Avoid praise for actions that are easy to preform, are given away too much, or is excessive (hello sincerity).

I like the idea of praising the action or the behavior, not the kid themselves.  I would not recognize that they are  are "smart, brilliant, or amazing", but their effort, work or product certainly is.